22 killed, 15 injured in Pakistan as bus rammed a hill after brakes fail

Pakistani police say a bus has rammed into a hill after it breaks failed on a mountainous road, killing 22 passengers and injuring 15 in the country's northwest.

Officer Abdul Wakil says the accident happened Sunday in the Chilas district, on the bus' route from Skardu to the city of Rawalpindi.

Wakil says rescue efforts were facing difficulties in the remote mountainous terrain due to lack of needed equipment and resources.

Such road accidents are common in Pakistan where motorists largely disregard traffic rules and safety standards on battered roads. Last month a speeding bus fell off a mountainous road into a river in the northwest, killing 24 passengers.